Back Then
by Recognition2
Summary: Just a cute little thing dealing with Red, Blue, and Leaf's childhood. :)


**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon in any way, shape, or form. It's called fanfiction for a reason.**

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The sun had just begun to climb up to its place in the sky, slowly swimming through the violet sea above and giving just a few fleeting rays of light to a sleepy little place called Pallet Town.

Except it wasn't so sleepy anymore, and as the sun languorously began its trek toward its throne in the sky, it peeked down to find two little children bursting through the little wooden doors of their little wooden houses (and everything was little, not because the sun was so far away but because the town itself was very, _very_ tiny). They met in the center of town, anxiously looking to and fro as though awaiting something. Soon enough, a kind-looking lady trudged out of the first boy's home, seemingly tired but amused. A young woman and a middle aged man followed, taking their place by the second boy, and though they were older and tired and much more mature, the sun could see the excitement glazing their bright eyes, as finally, after so many years, another would join their close-knit family.

It was a few more moments before a massive truck rolled in quite noisily from Route 1, disturbing the peace of what had once been a peaceful Saturday morning. Pidgeys shot up into the air and Rattatas scurried away, squeaks and chirps and whines and screeches meddling together in an uproar of sound that nearly deafened the two families, but yet smiles still graced their lips. The two little boys hopped around in excitement, tugging at their elders' sleeves and whispering amongst themselves. For they were told beforehand that their new neighbors had once been Trainers, you know, with Pokemon and all, and when they grew up they were going to be the greatest Trainers in the world, and so decided that obtaining a little more knowledge would surely give them leverage to any competition standing in their way (which, they would soon find out, would be each other, but that's another, much more depressing story).

The huge truck came to a screeching stop, though it hadn't been going fast in any way to begin with, and for a few moments it simply lingered there, all big and bright like a present on Christmas Eve, causing anxiety and eagerness to boil up inside the boys' stomachs until-

_Creeeeek._

The passenger door of the vehicle opened, and out came a youthful man with chocolate brown hair and eyes of emeralds. He carried a lively air around him, and grinned brightly at Professor Oak, the second boy's grandfather. He shook his hand and even gave him a quick hug, and the second boy began to wonder how his grandpa knew this man. But no matter, at least he had no reason to be weary (not that he would've been), since his grandfather was a good man and any friend of his must be a good person, too.

Then he politely shook his sister Daisy's hand, complimenting her hair (which she had spent nearly an hour on), and she smiled.

He went on to greet the first boy's mom in the same way he had done with Daisy, and finally, it was their turn. He bent down so that he was level with them, his smile widening as he extended a friendly hand.

"And how are you young men doing today?" He asked, a hint of amusement evident in his voice and in his eyes.

"Awesome!" The second boy said cheerfully, grasping the man's hand with a firm grip and shaking it surely.

"Well, aren't you a bold one?" He laughed, ruffling the boy's already messy, tawny mane. "What's your name?"

"Blue," he said with a grin. Pointing to the first boy, Blue added, "And that's Red! He doesn't talk a lot, but Daisy said he can, so I don't really get it."

"Well, you know Red, " the man leaned over, whispering. "Just between you and me, I like the quiet ones better."

Red laughed, and Blue poked at him curiously, trying to find out what he found so funny.

By this time, a pretty woman with long brown hair and tender, earthy eyes had materialized behind the man, smiling softly at him. He promptly got up, kissing her gently on the lips (which, of course, was followed by grimaces from the two boys because come on, kissing was icky). She whispered something into his ear, and he afterwards looked behind her legs, where a little girl was huddled.

"Hey Leaf, come on... Don't be shy," he cooed, gently urging the little girl away from her mother and exposing her to her new neighbors. But she timidly buried her face into his chest, afraid. Because her old home had been so familiar, it was all she had ever known, and just riding in the truck was a frightening experience for her. But now she was in a whole new place, with all these new people whom she didn't know, and she was scared. She clutched desperately on to her Pikachu plushie, finding its familiarity to be comforting.

She whimpered, and the man sighed, delicately running his fingers through her silky brown hair.

"Hey, come on..." He said, pointing to the two little boys. She glanced at them shrinkingly, and they looked back curiously. "See, that's Red, and that's Blue. They're our new neighbors."

She looked at them, then back at her father.

"A-Are they nice?" Leaf asked, voice small.

The man nodded. "Yes, very nice. Why don't you go play with them while me and Mommy talk with their parents?"

"But I don't want to. I want to stay with you," she sniffled.

"Now, Leafy, Daddy needs to go. Won't you do this for Daddy?"

She stared into his loving eyes for a few moments, trembling, but finally lowered her head and hugged her toy tighter.

"Okay."

He kissed her forehead. "That's a good girl. Don't worry, we'll be right here."

He gave her a warm hug before getting up and joining his wife, Leaf's mother, as she introduced herself to Red's mother.

The three children were left in silence, with Leaf nearly choking her stuffed Pikachu and Blue and Red glancing back and forth at each other and this foreign girl, wondering what to do.

But astonishingly, she shuffled up to Blue and extended a tiny hand, even compared to his, though her head was still downcast.

"I-I'm Leaf," she stammered, her large, chestnut eyes peppered with green peeking at him from beneath thick lashes.

Blue felt weird, to say the least, and he didn't understand why. His hands felt sweaty, his face was burning, and his stomach was in knots. Worst of all, he could feel his heart pounding in his ears. He was a whole new level of sick, and he couldn't understand why because he was sure that just a few moments ago he was perfectly fine.

But Blue was a _man_ (or at least, was going to be), and men were never afraid or shy or _whatever_, and so he put on his best grin and shook her little hand, finding it not weird, but cute that he could dwarf her hand with his own.

"I'm Blue."

She smiled a little, and then giggled as he pulled his hand away, feeling it still tingled from when she had shocked him. But it didn't hurt. It actually felt a little nice. A weird kind of nice.

_Was that a real Pikachu?_

"You look silly," she laughed, putting the back of her hand against his forehead and worsening the fever he already had.

"Y-You're really pretty," he spluttered, blushing furiously whilst moving away a little so that she was no longer making physical contact with him, because he found that when she did, his stomach coiled into an even tighter mess.

What was she turning him _into_?

It was probably just because she was a girl.

_Maybe cooties were real!_

She blinked a few times, her head tilting to the side curiously as her cheeks colored somewhat. She gazed at Blue for a few moments, perplexed as to why he had distanced himself from her, but decided not to dwell on it, and so turned to Red and shook his hand. He smiled politely, then shot a smirk over to his best friend (though he couldn't deny the faint flush that had overcome his face as well), who was murmuring to himself and feeling his face, amazed at how hot it was.

Yes, this was how the legendary Pallet Town trio started. With Blue blushing like an idiot, Leaf staring at him in confusion, and Red laughing his butt off on a peaceful Saturday morning. The sun had slowly climbed up to its post in the sky that day, restarting its ever-repeating routine, unsuspecting of the destinies that had intertwined under its warmth.

Because it was just Pallet Town. The sleepy little town with little houses and little doors and not two, but three little children.

But everyone would soon find out and believe that big things do come in small packages.

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**A/N: Well. I mean, it's okay. Not my best, but it's okay. I was kinda thinking of making this into a series starring the protagonists and (if it fits) their rivals as kids, but I don't know. I did enjoy writing this, though, but I don't think I could ever write a series of any kind because I most definitely do not have a long attention span.**

**Leaf is so cute. :3**

**Well, I hope you enjoyed! Please take a few moments to review if you have anything to say! I love feedback! :)**


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